


The Black Ribbon

by AlyssAlenko



Series: A little bit of Shenko Paradise [7]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Best Friends, Bonding, Bonding Time, Childhood Memories, Costumes, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friend Fiction, Friend Fluff, Friendship, Fun, Halloween, Haunting, Hickeys, Idiots in Love, Love, Normandy - Freeform, Nostalgia, Romantic Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, and you can never be too careful, but death, cheek kissing, interruptions, major character dies in story being told, mandatory down time, not graphic death, paraphrasing, post-saren, scary stories to tell in the dark, shenko shipping, stories, the green ribbon, two idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 05:10:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12574416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyssAlenko/pseuds/AlyssAlenko
Summary: In honor of Shepard's favorite holiday, Halloween, she forces the crew of the Normandy into some mandatory downtime post-Saren, before Tali leaves them all to go back to the Flotilla with the data on the geth they collected. Joker decides it's the perfect time to break out Shepard's favorite story from when she was a child, one she told him when they first met, and uses it to push hers and Kaidan's relationship out into the open.written for the MEFFW Halloween Drabble challenge and Based off 'The Green Ribbon', from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.





	The Black Ribbon

The lights of the Normandy were dimmed, trying to get the human crew members into the Halloween spirit, the flickering candle inside the werewolf pumpkin Shepard had carved cast an eerie glow on the table of the mess. Participation in her favorite holiday had been mandatory—bonding time, she called it. Tali had been the most excited about the prospect of learning about the human holiday; something to maybe take back to the Flotilla when she went back, which would be soon since they’d stopped Saren and she had all the data about the geth incursion in the Armstrong cluster. The Halloween party was their last hurrah as a family. Joker smiled...they may be rather unconventional, but that's what they were: a family, and when they’d first started no one but Shepard, could've predicted such a thing.

“Tell us a scary human tale, since this is your holiday and all.” Tali sank down in the chair next to Joker.

Garrus shrugged and sat across from them, his brow plates twitching. “I can't believe you get joy out of scaring yourselves and others. You humans are crazy and the galaxy really should fear you more than they do…”

“I think it’s great! Your species is my favorite.” Wrex boomed.

What story should he tell? At first, Joker had been planning to make one up, when Alyss emerged from her quarters wearing a witch costume: black pointy hat with a moon ribbon, a matching dress with a moon on the belt, matching knee high boots with moons on buckles around her ankles, and a thick black choker around her neck with one last moon, he grinned. He remembered Alyss telling him her favorite scary short story from when she was a kid, and the choker had sparked something in his memory, he’d just change a few details because he could. She didn't notice him watching as she lifted the brim of her witch hat up to kiss vampyr Kaidan on the cheek before the two of them made their way over, unaware the action had just put Kaidan in the story too.

Joker cleared his throat.

" _Once there was a girl named Alyss, she had long, black hair and the most unique lavender eyes anyone had ever seen. She was like all the other girls, except for one thing; she always wore a black ribbon around her neck._ "

Alyss grinned as she hopped up on the table, loving that he had made her the protagonist of her favorite story, even if it was supposed to be a green ribbon, not a black one. Several pairs of eyes flicked to the choker around her neck at his words. It hid the hickey Kaidan her given her that morning, even if that hadn't been the purpose when she’d chosen to be a witch nigh on a week before. She knew what was coming, but she didn't know if anyone else did, and the fact that Joker seemed to be changing it into ‘friend fiction’ had her more worried than anything else, and she’d fought an indoctrinated machine version of Saren. She bit her lower lip and twirled a strand of black hair around her finger, as Joker continued.

" _There was a boy named Kaidan on Alyss’ ship. Kaidan liked Alyss and Alyss liked Kaidan, but it was against the rules for the two of them to fraternize, though that didn't stop the bond that formed between them, one powerful enough to transcend time and space._ "

"I think you might be the number one Shenko shipper on the Normandy, Joker.” Tali teased. “This isn't scary.”

“It’s more haunting than scary.” Alyss interjected, ignoring the couple name Tali had come up with for her and Kaidan.

“Do you want me to finish the story?” Joker growled under his breath.

“Yes, yes. Sorry. Go on.” Liara giggled.

" _One day he asked he asked her, ‘Why do you wear that ribbon all the time?’ 'I can't tell you.’ Alyss said. But Kaidan kept asking. ‘Why **do** you wear it?’ And Alyss would say, ‘It’s not important’._ ”

“If he really liked her he wouldn't push.” Kaidan muttered.

Liara nodded solemnly in agreement.

“ _Alyss and Kaidan spent a lot of time together, taking their time to get to know one another, and eventually realized they were head over heels in love. One day they got married and after their wedding, Kaidan once again asked about the black ribbon she always wore. ‘Now that we are married, you must tell me about the black ribbon.’ He said. ‘You still must wait. I will tell you when the right time comes.’ Alyss replied. Years passed, Kaidan and Alyss had three kids, the two of them growing old together, just like they'd promised in their wedding vows. One day, Alyss became very sick, the doctor told her she was dying, that she didn't have much time left and should say her goodbyes to her beautiful family. Alyss called Kaidan to her side. ‘Kaidan, now I can tell you about the black ribbon. Untie it, and you will see why I couldn’t tell you before.’ she told him, coughing. Slowly and carefully, Kaidan untied the black ribbon around her neck, and Alyss’ head fell off._ ”

Wrex let out a booming laugh, clapping Joker on the shoulder as Tali’s eyes widened beneath her helmet, everyone turning to look at their commander and her lieutenant who were blushing scarlet at Joker’s conclusion. Even if they had just spent their shore leave in Hawaii together, all their friends knowing about the nature of their relationship by now, that didn't mean she was ready to broadcast it into all corners of the ship. Joker snorted with laughter at the looks on everyone’s faces; best mandatory bonding ever, and now Alyss knew better than to force everyone to spend time together. Revenge was sweet.

“Shep, what’s under the choker?” Tali asked cautiously.

“Nothing.” Her left hand clapped to the side of her neck, Joker wheezing harder with laughter.


End file.
